Events

Technology, Knowledge, and Wisdom 4: Centralisation

Does technology help us gain knowledge?
Does increased knowledge lead to increased wisdom?
And what does wisdom say of technology?

Philosophers, scientists, and theologians have wrestled with these questions; from the utopian optimism of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, to the sceptical pessimism of Jacques Ellul. Popular culture also wrestles with such issues, not least through movies; from The Matrix to Free Guy. Now it is our turn.

This series brings together academics from across disciplines to consider pressing issues of the interrelationships between technology, knowledge, and wisdom, and what this means for how we (should) live in today's world.

A Story: Scenario #4 - Centralisation

I do what I want. I talk to whomever I want. I go wherever I want. I read whatever I want. But there are so many people, so many places, so many books. If only someone could help me choose. Someone who knew me. Someone who could suggest what I might want to read, or who I might want to talk to. I wouldn’t have to take their suggestions. I would still be free. But their suggestions might help. And the better they knew me, the better their suggestions would be. Until they would just make the suggestions that I would have made, if only I knew myself as well as they did. Then I could do what I truly would have wanted!
          But who could help me choose? My friends do not know me well enough; they could not know me well enough. I would need someone with enough resources to get into every area of my life. Maybe there would be a company with enough resources. But I am not sure I would trust a company that was out to make a profit. I would need someone with enough resources but without a financial interest. Maybe if the government knew all about me…

Session dates:
4th Dec. 2021:
Scenario #1: Specialisation

8th Jan. 2022:
Scenario #2: Integration

5th Feb. 2022:
Scenario #3: Separation 

5th Mar. 2022:
Scenario #4: Centralisation

2nd Apr. 2022:
Scenario #5: Transcendence